saw an article that mentioned scholes today on espn and it was that last year he completed 90% of his long balls to the flanks, maybe it's true manchester is trying to replace him with sneijder imo we could use Ji sung as the defensive mid, he's got the energy level to run the full 90 too
oh whatever he scores 6-12 times a season and has energy to withstand a full game, allow him to make surging runs forward since he has that energy to be able to run back and stand the whole game, in games we lead sub him out for a true defensive mid and in games when we need speed, let him push up and I chose Chelsea as my foe because Liversuck has been terrible and not really challenging as of late (besides kuyt's hat trick) and I don't even want to mention Man Shitty, Chelsea has been a more entertaining rivalry lately imo and the only team that's really given us pressure the past 3-5 years
Paul Scholes: I wanted to be part of a winning England team, not one full of greedy players just after personal glory Paul Scholes, capped 65 times for England during a 17-year career with Manchester United, has launched an astonishing attack on ‘selfish’ teammates who, he says, drove him to quit international football when at the height of his powers. After a career during which he has consistently shunned the limelight, Scholes last week spoke out over what he sees as the decline of the England team in the Fabio Capello era. The man hailed by contemporaries as the best footballer of his generation claims that England’s lack of success in major championships is the result of players chasing personal glory, rather than wanting to be part of a winning team. And he warns that the climate of selfishness he experienced before he rocked England by quitting the national side seven years ago is still prevalent today, even under Capello’s disciplinarian regime Scholes, 36 and about to launch his coaching career with United after retiring as a player at the end of last season, said: ‘I wanted to be part of a team and there were individuals who were after personal glory. Instead of making a simple pass of 10 yards, they might try to smack it 80 yards to get themselves noticed. ‘Half the problem is players going into England games not caring. There is definitely an element of what Jamie [Carragher] said in his autobiography, about not being bothered about England losing. I always felt that players, especially at clubs like your Aston Villas, try to use England as a way to get to a top club. You wonder whether they are there for the right reason. I think they are very selfish people. ‘It happened in my day. I think they were there to get their bit of glory, their bit of headlines, to think, “Oh, I will get a move from this”. ‘If you look at the Spain team now, they all seem to play for each other. There isn’t one of them who would try to do something in a game that doesn’t suit the team and the way they play. And that could happen over here with England.’ Scholes, currently planning his Old Trafford testimonial against an Eric Cantona New York Cosmos XI on August 5, insists that English football does not suffer from a lack of ability, as critics suggested after England’s dismal display at last year’s World Cup in South Africa. Capello’s team scraped through their qualifying group, finishing second to the United States, and then lost 4-1 in the first knockout round to Germany. The widely held view within football is that England do not have enough technically gifted players like Scholes, who won 10 Premier League titles with United and was hailed by Spanish World Cup winner Xavi as the best midfield player ‘from the last 20 years’. But Scholes thinks it is egos that have caused England’s repeated downfall in major championships rather than lack of ability. He is also concerned that the country as a whole has inflated and unrealistic expectations whenever England approach a World Cup or European Championship. ‘It is not a case of us being technically inferior to Spanish or Brazilian players,’ he said. ‘If you look through our teams, there are loads of technically brilliant players. I think the problem is probably more attitude. ‘We are made favourites for every big tournament and it will happen again. We will beat Macedonia 6-0 in qualifiers and be made favourites for the World Cup. It’s quite laughable. It is just the mentality of English people, we think we are going to win everything.’ Scholes, who reached the 2002 World Cup quarter-finals under Sven Goran Eriksson’s management, claims Capello’s England lack a definite playing style and are not as good as the squads he played in under both Eriksson and Glenn Hoddle. Scholes said: ‘I felt I played in a good England team, especially with Glenn Hoddle at the World Cup in France in 1998. Under Hoddle and Sven, you knew the way you were playing. But if I sat back and thought how England play now, I wouldn’t really know. ‘I do watch the games but I couldn’t tell you England’s style of play. Is there a holding midfielder? Is there one up front? Does Gareth Barry play? I couldn’t tell you.’ Scholes will launch the non-playing phase of his distinguished career at Old Trafford in September. United manager Sir Alex Ferguson had wanted him to continue playing for another season but the player himself felt his legs had gone and he was taking too long to recover from injuries. ‘I’m going to see Sir Alex at the beginning of August and we will have a chat about it then,’ said Scholes. ‘I’m sure he has some ideas of what he wants me to do. I think it will be coaching, maybe with Warren Joyce for the reserves. I’m not too sure yet. I will settle into the coaching first and see whether in two years I’ve got enough experience to go into management, or even feel like it. ‘I don’t think anybody at the club would see me going into management, but I just don’t know. [Assistant manager] Mick Phelan says he could never see Mark Hughes going into management and look how well he’s done.’ Scholes hopes former United team-mates, including David Beckham, Gary Neville and Nicky Butt, will make guest appearances in Cantona’s Cosmos team for his big night. But the player Scholes rates as his best team-mate will still be in a United shirt. ‘I’ve played with so many great ones but if I had to name one, it would be Ryan Giggs. He could do everything, play in every position as he’s shown these past couple of years. He’s gone to central midfield and he has been amazing.’ Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...layers-just-personal-glory.html#ixzz1ReIr60Ep Agree with what he is saying. Btw, he is giving interviews galore after retiring after shying away from them most of his career
Just about to say that as well - he said nothing for 18 years and now he's pretty much gushing. Don't think he said anything wrong though.
He should not be saying some of those things. It sounds disrespectful to people, when i'm sure he meant no disrespect.
I think SirM posted something about a lack of identity and unwillingness to move forward with respect to tactics in the Copa America thread when talking about Argentina.....I feel the same could be applied about the English too....
I think he kept quiet for so long because it seems he can't keep himself from being absolutely brutally honest about what he says. Atleast he didn't take names..
What do you have a problem with specifically, out of curiosity Umar? He didn't like the coaches after Sven. He doesn't think England is technically inferior. And as for the thing about using clubs at Aston Villa's level as a stepping stone, is he wrong? Look who just left - Downing, Young, who's next? Calling some of the players selfish is his opinion, it's not the polite and easy sound bite we get from every other player, and I respect that.
Imagine you are Ashley Young (a fellow employee of the club), and you read what Scholes says. Does your respect for him go up, or down? I'd say it probably goes down. And what advantage does Scholes derive from saying that about Aston Villa players? I'd say little to none. It's un-necessary gossipping, really.
Giving your own opinions can still be gossipping. It's not a case of being a pansy - he needs the respect of the players if he wants to coach or manage. Not knowing or caring that you will probably antagonise your own people with thoughtless remarks does not reflect well on him. Do a cost-benefit analysis of his comments. Does the benefit to Scholes of giving his frank opinion outweigh the cost of antagonising players like Young, who played for England and Aston Villa?
It isn't gossiping. Gossiping is talking about alleged occurrence by people you've identified in your conversation with someone (quite often a contemporary of the person you are speaking about). It wasn't wise, but I think having given the years he has in service to club and country, he's entitled to speak his mind. I think also the mistake he made was in generalizing a specific club but he meant and it was clear to me that he meant players at midlevel clubs looking to advance not ONLY Villa. I also think he was referring specifically to Gareth Barry. Something about this makes me feel he's actually sticking up for Carrick. The specific mention of Barry/Villa (he probably meant Milner too I suppose) and then claiming there was no holding midfielder might be more than just a general shot. Whatever it was, he's entitled to speak his mind. Well within his rights. I'm sure if word gets to him that Ashley thought he was having a go, he'd probably sort Ashley out, not that he'd need to because players like Giggsy and Rio would have a word.
I dont think Ashley Young will take that seriously tbh. He doesnt gain any advantage, he's just keepin it real.
What Scholes said is probably true. So if Young is guilty of it it's his problem, but if he isn't guilty of it it's not his problem.
He was saying "the Aston Villa's" not "Players from Aston Villa." He was referring to mid-table, or lower-table teams who have studs that play for England and seek a move. Did Scholes and Young ever play in the England side together? If not, you can assume he isn't referring to AY.
Young will have the inside scoop if he wants it. Scholes would tell him directly who and what he means by what he says. --- That talk of Scholes writing a book - anyone else get the feeling there's probably more truth to that than fiction? I figure it'll be explosive should it come out.
It is $tevie G (amongst others) he is talking about in terms of trying to hit "Hollywood" balls rather than playing the simple pass. Valid point but to be fair, that's what the English media and population want from their players - Roy of the rovers stuff rather than 10 yard passes to keep possession.
Even Scholesy is aware of what the English fans/media get into. Every World Cup, build up the expectations built off shite games, and then see them shattered against good teams. He said absolutely nothing wrong. DS, I thought the book deal was something confirmed.